


Real Time

by Daegaer



Series: Problems in Navigation [16]
Category: Weiß Kreuz
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Assassins & Hitmen, Jealousy, M/M, Psychic Abilities, Slavery, Space Opera, Spaceships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-09 13:10:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16450583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Something is wrong with the navigation system.





	Real Time

"All hands, stand down from jump," Crawford said, flicked the all-ship off, and drained a rehydration pack. "Fuck," he said, leaning on his console. "Did that feel rougher to you than usual?"

"Yeah," Schuldig said. "All systems are reading clean, but navigation looks like it was working harder than it should." He started running diagnostics, and finally looked up. "And you look like crap, Captain."

"So do you," Crawford said. "You look like you've dropped more weight than normal." He frowned at the numbers coming from Schuldig's console. A simple short jump that should have been no more than nine days' realtime had taken over two weeks. They'd have to delay deceleration and risk station penalties if they wanted to make their contract deadlines. "What happened?"

"Glitch in the gods'-fucked interface," Schuldig said. "The system seems to be all right, so I'd say the glitch is our mouthy nav."

Crawford looked at Ran, now still and limp in the navigator's station. He'd been quiet and polite ever since the trouble at their last port of call, doing his best not to be noticed. If this was his way of rebelling, putting the ship and its crew and cargo in jeopardy –

"I'm not sure he _is_ doing it," Schuldig said. "Or that he knows he is."

"You're his champion now, are you?" Crawford said.

Schuldig raised an eyebrow.

"I'm trying to sort out a problem with the navigation interface," he said. " _You_ should try not to sound like that in front of the others. It's embarrassing."

Crawford bit back his response. Schuldig was right. That they were sniping at each other at all was a sign of how rough the jump had been.

"I owe you a drink," he said, as an apology.

"You owe me a reservoir of drink. Ran's going to need more training to sort this out. If I tell him, he'll get rebellious. If _you_ tell him in his current mindset, he'll get freaked out. So who tells him?"

"Nagi," Crawford said in resignation.

"So we don't think the nav's being swept off his feet down in engineering any more?"

"Shut up."

"I mean, Nagi's got that natural seductive quality and easy charm –"

"If you make me laugh with this headache I'll come over there and strangle you."

"You should be glad you can't keep any secrets from me," Schuldig said, smugly tossing him another rehydration pack. "See how much easier it makes your life?"

"It's more I've given in to the awful knowledge that I have no privacy," Crawford said. "Go on, get the nav fed and watered and get back here. We need to calculate the last possible moment to start deceleration."

Schuldig got Ran up and swaying unsteadily on his feet, and led him from the bridge.

"Hey, don't worry, Captain," he called back from the entrance. "We'll make the deadlines."

"Oh, you can see the future now?"

Schuldig grinned, his tired face brightening with sly amusement.

"The nav's not the only one on his best behavior recently. I think you'll find Nagi is very keen to prove he can make the ship do anything you ask him to do. He'll get us there on time."

Crawford smiled and turned his attention to his console, starting to plot in possible fast courses to the main station. They could do it, he thought. They'd pulled through a lot worse than a close-run timetable.

Gods, he hated being a respectable civilian.


End file.
